Saravanan Thangamani

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Saravanan Thangamani
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Academic Appointments
Appointment Organization
Assistant Professor Pathology
Professional Education
Degree Institution Field of Study Graduation Year
Ph.D. Institute of Parasitology, University of South Bohemia Molecular and Cell Biology 2003
MSc Bharathidasan University Life Sciences (specialization in Biotechnology) -
Honors
Title Organization Year(s)
EMBO Short Term Fellowship Institute for Animal Health, UK 2002
Tamil Nadu (India) State Government’s Student Research Project Fellowship 1998
Professional Affiliations
Society Year(s)
American Committee on Molecular, Cellular and Immunoparasitology -
Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases -
WHO Center for Tropical Diseases -
American Committee on Medical Entomology -
American Society of Microbiology -
American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene -
American Committee on Athropod-borne Viruses -
Research Interests

Understanding the dynamics of vector-pathogen-host interaction is fundamental toward development of new strategies to control vector borne pathogens. A complex repertoire of pharmacologically active molecules in blood feeding arthropod saliva is responsible for modulating host hemostasis, immune defenses, pain/itch, and wound healing, which facilitates blood feeding and pathogen transmission. Genomic strategies yielded previously unobtainable insights into the nature and diversity of salivary gland molecules. Understanding the function(s) of these molecules, and how it interacts with the host immune system is vital to development of novel disease transmission control strategies. Currently, we are using mosquitoes and ticks as our model systems to unravel the functional role of salivary proteins in potentiating pathogen establishment, which will lead to development of anti-viral / anti-bacterial strategies.

Selected Publications
  1. Boppana DV*, THANGAMANI S *, Adler A, Wikel SK. SAAG-4 is a Novel Mosquito Salivary Protein that Programs Host CD4+ T Cells to Express IL-4. Parasite Immunol. 2009. 31(6):287-95. PMID: 19493208 * Equally contributed first authors
  2. Jiang N*, THANGAMANI S *, Chor CF, Wang SY, Winarsih I, Du RJ, Sivaraman J, Ho B, Ding JL. A novel serine protease inhibitor acts as an immunomodulatory switch while maintaining homeostasis. J Innate Immun. 2009;1:465-479 * Equally contributed first authors
  3. . Thangamani S, and Wikel SK. Differential expression of the salivary transcriptome of Aedes aegypti upon blood feeding. Parasites & Vectors. 2009: 2(1):34.
  4. . Tulsidas SR, Thangamani S, Sivaraman J, Ho B , and Ding JL. Crystallization of a non-classical Kazal-type Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda serine protease inhibitor, CrSPI-1, complexed with subtilisin. Acta Cryst. 2009. F65, 533-535.
  5. Zhu Y, Thangamani S, Ho B, Ding JL. The ancient origin of the complement system. EMBO J 2005; 24(2):382-94.
  6. Ding JL, Tan KC, Thangamani S, Kusuma N, Seow WK, Bui TH, Wang J, Ho B. Spatial and temporal coordination of expression of immune response genes during Pseudomonas infection of horseshoe crab, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda. Genes Immun 2005;6 (7):557-74.
  7. Saravanan T, Weise C, Sojka D, Kopacek P. Molecular cloning, structure and bait region splice variants of alpha-2-macroglobulin from the soft tick Ornithodoros moubata. Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2003; 33(8):841-51.
  8. Kopacek P, Weise C, Saravanan T, Vitova K, Grubhoffer L. Characterization of an alpha- macroglobulin-like glycoprotein isolated from the plasma of the soft tick Ornithodoros moubata. Eur J Biochem. 267 (2):465-75.
  9. Tulsidas SR, Thangamani S, Sivaraman J, Ho B , and Ding JL. Structural Basis for a Dual Inhibition Mechanism of a Non Classical Kazal Type Inhibitor to Regulate Host and Pathogen Protease Interactions. Manuscript in preparation.

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